What a brutal game that was to watch. Yes, the Minnesota Vikings beat the Las Vegas Raiders by a score of 3-0, but there wasn’t exactly a whole lot to be excited about or enjoy.
The Vikings posted their first shutout since the 2017 season where they beat the Green Bay Packers 16-0 at Lambeau Field, a team without starting quarterback Aaron Rodgers. It was also the lowest scoring game in the league since 2007 when the Pittsburgh Steelers beat the Miami Dolphins 3-0 in the infamous mud bowl Monday Night Football game.
Even in a game where the overall performance wasn’t great, there were still some standout performances to focus in on. Here are the studs and duds from Sunday’s win.
Stud: RB Alexander Mattison
Mattison did leave the game with an injury but when he was on the field, he made an impact. He averaged 6.6 YPC on his 10 rushes for 66 yards and was seeing the field really well along with breaking tackles consistently. That is exactly what you want to see from your starting running back. His health is now the main concern for the Vikings, but it’s still an impressive day from the running back.
Dud: HC Kevin O'Connell
Coming out of a bye week, the Vikings should have been ready and prepared with adjustments from their self-scouting during said bye week. Instead, the Vikings came out and played really poorly on offense, gaining just 88 yards in the first half. There wasn’t any substantial adjustments made and it was evident, as the Vikings didn’t score a single point in the first three quarters and only three in the entire game. O’Connell should have them in better position and he just didn’t.
Dud: RT Brian O'Neill
O’Neill did leave the game due to injury, but that’s not the reason why he ended up as a dud. He got torched on multiple occasions by the Raiders all-world pass rusher Maxx Crosby for two sacks and one of those ended up being the play O’Neill injured his ankle. This was one of the key matchups for the Vikings to come out with a win and O’Neill lost it.
Stud: ILB Ivan Pace Jr.
The Vikings needed a really good performance from their defense and they got just that. Pace was one of the standouts on the unit, including 11 tackles and a sack in the first half. He sacked Aidan O’Connell on a delayed blitz to end the half as the Raiders were trying to attempt a Hail Mary. Not only that, Pace topped himself by getting the interception that sealed the game. Pace has been a welcomed addition to the Vikings defense.
Dud: QB Josh Dobbs
When discussing the quarterback position, it’s hard to see Dobbs this week as anything other than a failure. Heck, you could say that about the last two weeks as well. He struggled to see the field and throw an accurate football all game, completing just 10-of-23 for 63 yards through the air along with 21 rushing yards on five carries. At this point, Dobbs likely won’t be the starting quarterback moving forward and that is on the heels of his performance more than anything.
Stud: QB Nick Mullens
Mullens was thrust into action on Sunday afternoon in the fourth quarter after Dobbs was removed from the game due to his struggles. Not only did he stabilize the offense but Mullens played well. He completed 9-of-13 passes for 83 yards and had the Vikings offense looking the best it has in weeks. Is Mullens the answer for the Vikings long-term? That remains to be seen.
